Best Friends
by Desis
Summary: They were the best of friends. Most of the time.
1. Doughnuts

"...What are these?" Noel poked the oddly colored bread-like thing on the table. There were twelve of them, all stacked neatly together in a pink box.

"Doughnuts." Hope glanced up at the papers he was currently reviewing. Serah must've left him some food after seeing the pitiful state of his dinner last night, most of what consisted of energy bars and vitamins. He wasn't very surprised they didn't have the unhealthy, highly processed luxury food in Noel's time. "Have you ever heard of them?"

"No. Are they any good?" Noel stares fixedly at the treats.

"Try one." Hope almost laughs as Noel warily picks out the least colorful doughnut, a plain chocolate one, and tears into it. He _does _laugh when Noel gags and almost spits it back out, coughing and scowling. "Too sweet for you?"

"You set me up." Noel gingerly set the bitten pastry down, glaring accusedly at Hope.

"Maybe," Hope shuffled his papers and stood up. Now that he was done with these, he needed to attend a meeting. Couldn't the Academy get anything done without him? "Stay here, will you? Don't get lost."

"Where are you going?"

"To gauge the efficiency of traditionally powered non aerodynamic engine versus the prototype manadrive one."

"...Which means...?"

"To see which engine is better. It'll only take around thirty minutes, so you should stay in my office."

"Frunph." Noel spat out crumbs as he tried to speak, pulling another face as he registered the taste. Hope sighed as Noel gagged again.

.

"I'm ba- Noel?"

"Ughhhhhh." Noel was curled up in a corner of the room, rocking back in forth in a fetal position. The pink doughnut box lay on its side, contents empty, save for one bright-yellow sprinkle-covered survivor.

"Did you really?"

"Mrphhhh."

"Serves you right for eating all of them." Hope picked up the remaining doughnut and took a bite out of it. Hope suddenly grinned as an idea struck him.

"Why are you-owww-smiling?"

"You'll see." Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly dialed a number.

"Serah? Noel really likes those doughnuts. You should bring him another box tomorrow. Yeah, I'm sure. He loved the bright-yellow one the most."

"No...Hope..stop..."

"The more sugar, the better. In fact, why don't you just bring him the custard-filled ones?"

"Ngghhh."

"Just listen to him moan as he eats them. That's how much he likes them. Ok, that would be great. Thanks Serah!"

"Hope...What did you just do...ow..."

"Called in a favor. Now can you still walk or do I have to get some painkillers?"

"I'll be fine... In a couple days."

"Good, cause I'm not cleaning up these crumbs."

"..."

.

Hope knocked on Noel's door, and invited himself in with his all-access Class A priority pass.

"Noel? Are you there?" Opening the bathroom door, Hope winced at the sight. Noel lay in the bathtub, fully clothed, with twelve empty pink boxes scattered around the (very) smelly room.

"You know you didn't _have _to, right?" He got a pained groan in response. Sighing, Hope picked up a few pink boxes and threw them into the trash. Turning on the bathroom fan, he smiled and addressed Noel.

"Have you ever heard of ice cream? You should try it some time, I know you'd love it."

"Hope...go away."


	2. Roomates

Why are people reading this I am a bad writer no stop stop adding this to your favorites I am not worthy

p.s. are you guys waiting for this to be romance? it's not going to be, not like I dont ship Hope/Noel but I hate writing romance

besides they seem like pretty good bros

* * *

><p>"This is your dinner?" Noel grabbed the closest package and examined the label (Acadamia-Instants: Noodle Edition). "Seems pretty unhealthy to me."<p>

"At least I didn't eat twelve boxes of this stuff and get sick for a week."

"Hey, you said you'd stop talking about that!" Noel scowled and sank into the chair facing Hope. "Besides, now I'm stuck with you for two weeks while they air out my room."

"Yeah, and you're lucky I had a couch to spare. I coud've stuck you in the storage room."

"Aww, but you wouldn't have done that, would you?" Noel snaked his hand around the table and reached for Hope's bowl.

"Don't test your luck." Hope slapped the would-be-thief away and tried to glare, but the two broke out into laughter.

"Really Hope, thanks for letting me stay over."

"No problem. You would have done the same."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Yeah, you're right, you wouldn't. You probably pass out on the couch in the middle of the afternoon."

"I only did that three times!"

"Uh-huh."

"Really! Besides, I bet you stay up all night too!"

"Hey, it took a lot of research to figure out how to create another Cocoon, you know."

"Create another Cocoon? All you do is stare at the computer screen and laugh."

"You're from the future. You wouldn't understand."

"There's nothing _to _understand!" Noel sat up and waved his arms around, as if trying to explain his lack of understanding. Hope finished his noodles, and Noel scowled again. "I wish you would eat healthier, I've never seen you eat anything that didn't take more than five minutes to make."

"Well, how bout you do it then? You know how to cook, right?"

"Of course I do! What do you take me for?"

"Someone who doesn't know the value of the internet." Noel continued to glare at Hope, who was trying to keep a straight face. "Fine, here's some gil. Make something for dinner when I get back, okay?"

"Fine." Noel took the money, still glaring.

"Clean the house while you're at it, will you?"

"Okay, yeah, sure."

"Do my laundry too."

"Just leave already!" Noel pushed Hope out of his chair, and unsuccessfully tried to drag him. Hope was chuckling under his breath as Noel forced him out. No way was he going to clean up Hope's dirty clothes. That was just nasty.

But now that he looked at it, the house was pretty dirty, and he did have a couple hours to spare...

* * *

><p>"Ohcrapohcrapfuck," Noel stammered as the dish on the stove burst into flames. He had just turned his back on it for a second but the stove was so complicated really who needed sixteen different types of flames to cook <em>one <em>meal and oh man Hope was going to _kill _him. "Damnit what do I do ohfuck," Noel was about to cast a waterga all over Hope's kitchen before the sprinkler system turned on and doused the whole house, effectively putting out the flame. Noel sighed in relief, and collapsed into a chair, accidentally sitting on a folder of soggy paper. Soggy paper that was crucial to Hope's prototype engine plans.

"Fuck."


	3. Shipping

Sorry i've been so inactive...had to go on a trip

also hope totally ships noerah and serah ships nope and snow ships hoperai

its a circle of shipping im fine with all the ships but i dislike underage hopexanyone

* * *

><p>"Serah!" Noel ran up to embrace the pink-haired girl. "I haven't seen you in forever!"<p>

"That's cause we've been busy saving the world," Snow announced.

"Stop that." Swinging an arm around Hope's shoulders, Snow laughed. Hope half-heartedly tried to shrug it off.

"What have you and Hope been doing these past two months?" Serah took Noel's elbow as the two pairs walked back to Acadamia, with them lagging behind. Faint sounds of Hope trying to convince Snow to get a haircut because he looked ridiculous and r_eally you look like a chocobo not even like that shopkeeper Chocolina but a __**legit **__chocobo _could be heard.

"I've moved in with Hope, due to- Serah?." Serah began giggling uncontrollably.

"Moved in _together?_"

"Yeah, Serah...isn't that kinda the point of moving in with him?" At this, Serah choked a bit.

"Sorry, Noel. Continue?"

"...Anyway, I had to move because I kinda ruined my own apartment by eating too many doughnuts. Then I acidentally almost burned down half his house, so he taught me how to use the stove and oven. We made a cake, and he showed me this white sticky sauce-thing ca-"

"White sticky sauce thing?" Serah was turning red from surpressed giggles.

"Yeah, he called it 'frosting.' It was super sweet and I spilled a whole bowl of it on my face."

"Did you guys have _fun?"_

"Yeah, it was pretty fu- why are you looking at me like that?"

"Noel, do you like Hope?"

"Yeah, he's a great friend... Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." The group stopped in front of Hope's house.

"Serah, Snow, I have the guest room set up for you. There's only one bed though, so-"

"It'll be fine. It's already enough that you're allowing us to stay here."

"Yeah, Hope. Now how bout you show us your fancy new house?" Snow ushered the group in through the front door.

"Hope, could I speak with you?" Tugging on Hope's arm, Serah pulled him back as Noel led Snow upstairs.

"Yeah, sure, Serah. You know I always have time for you."

"How have things with you and Noel been?"

"Fine. Except he managed to almost burn my building down, burn his apartment room, ruin half of my documents, drown my laptop, and sleep in my room after he wore his knife to bed and cut the-"

"Sleep in your room? With you?" At this comment, Hope blushed and turned a bright red.

"No! Not like that!"

Serah suggestively smirked and elbowed Hope in the gut. "I heard you two got messy playing with some stick white stuff."

"Serah! Stop! I don't-"

"Don't what? Like Noel? Because he likes you. I asked him and he said yes."

"Serah, I'm not-"

"Not interested? Poor Noel, it'll break his precious little heart. First he has to see Yeul die and now you reject him?"

"SERAH!" Hope was brilliantly red by now. "I don't-I'm not interested in men, Serah. And I don't love Noel, okay? And you're the one who's been running around time with him for who knows how long, leaving your own fiance behind."

"Hey! You know the marriage is postponed until the timeline is fixed!"

"Postponed? That's not what you said."

"Then what did I say, huh?"

"Noel told me you said the engagement necklace was a gift from an 'old friend.'"

"I did not say that!"

"Yes, you did."

"Okay, maybe I did. But that was just because he didn't meet Snow yet, and I didn't want to explain it."

"_Sure, _Serah."

"Really!"

"You know in an alternate timeline, you and Noel get together?"

"WHAT?"

"Just kidding, Serah. Though there is one timeline where you end up moving in with him and eventually-"

"Serah! I heard you shouting, what's wrong!" The two figures both jumped as Snow poked his head around the corner.

"Snow, you agree with me, right?" Serah took no time trying to convince Snow to take her side.

"Yeah! ...Agree with what exactly?"

"That Hope and Noel are perfect for each other!"

"Actually, I think Hope has this major crush on your sister. Right, Hope?"

"..." Why did he think inviting Snow and Serah over was ever a good idea?

"No! But Noel would look so cute with Hope!"

"Yeah, but Serah! You didn't see Lightning and Hope when they were l'cie! They were totally adorable together!"

"Lightning would never like Hope. No offense, Hope, but she's too old for him!"

"..." Didn't they have bigger issues than this? Like the whole stop-Caius-before-he-destroys-time thing?

"But you should have seen them Serah, they were great in battle and Hope would always heal Lightning first-"

"So? What does healing have to do with anything?"

"Yeah, but Serah- get this- Lightning was about to abandon Hope, but she _changed her mind_.

"What? Why? No way, you're lying!"

"..." Hope crept away from the arguing couple, and found Noel sitting in the living room, (who had thankfully not heard the argument).

"The house is going to be lively for the next few days, huh Hope?"

"I'm not sure lively is the word for it."

"What are they even arguing about over there?"

"Who they think I have a crush on."

"Really?"

"Really."

"..." Even Noel was speechless.

Hope collapsed into the sofa next to Noel, and sighed.

"It's Alyssa, right? You like Alyssa? Because I thought you guys totally had a thing going on."

"Noel...shut up."


	4. Reveries

oh boy summer break im back

here have a really long character study with possible some angst?

and shipping if you squint really hard (not hopexnoel though)

* * *

><p>He doesn't know when or how they arrived in the Void Beyond, but it doesn't matter anymore. The chaos, the darkness- it forces itself down his throat, it flutters in front of him like an unwelcome truth, it blinds him and chokes him, but it's presence is reassuring- the only constant thing left in this world. Sights, sounds, smells, all blur away in the waters of eternity, and he's left with a hollow emptiness.<p>

"Hope,"

"Yes?"

"What happened? Where are we? Is Serah really...?" Noel knows the truth. Knows that Hope knows exactly as much as he does himself, that yesterday and tomorrow do not exist anymore, that Serah is _gone_, but he asks anyways. He _pleads_. He pleads Hope to tell him differently, to say that it'll all be okay, because he'd rather hear a reassuring lie than the inconvenient truth.

"I don't know, Noel." It's as much comfort as Hope can offer.

* * *

><p>There's nothing to do but walk and talk, so that's what they do. There's nowhere to go and nothing to walk to, but it's an old comfort of a lifetime past. Its the stories that matter, telling each other everything they knew, everything they know, and then some. It's a fascination of both, to learn about the other's time. Noel learns about the future, the bright, glimmering, and utterly ruthless societies of the past. Hope learns about the desperate struggle for life that the future will be.<p>

"What was being the Director like, in Acadamia 400 AF?" A simple question. Not the one he wants to ask, and not the one Hope wants to answer. It's a compromise they silently settle on.

"Different. The first few days, it was hard. Painful. I felt like it was just a dream, that I'd really died in my sleep, and this was some semblance of what I dreamt. It was hard to take anything seriously, you know? I felt like it was all temporary, all pretend."

"What changed things?"

"I don't know. I guess, in a way, some part of me did die back there. The friends and family I'd made in 10 AF, I left them all behind. Threw them away. Once in 10 AF, again in 400 AF. I wasn't able to get close with many people after the fall...Alyssa was a rare exception. And look where that took us."

"Wait, you remember Alyssa?"

"The Void Beyond is a shadow of Valhalla. I can see the timelines that I lived through, that I died in. Except, I don't know which one is truly me and which one is an alternate timeline anymore."

"Would it matter if you did know?"

"No. It wouldn't."

* * *

><p>"Tell me, Noel. What was life like in your time?" Hope's voice broke the ever-present silence, seemingly wrong in the utterly quiet realm.<p>

"It was...Different, to say the least. We were closer to each other, all like family. Most were afraid, worried, or scared. Death was a constant companion, likely to strike us anytime. Instead of a looming cloud hanging above us, it was more like a sudden flash flood."

"And for you, personally?"

"I didn't know my parents well. Caius and Yeul, they were my family after my grandma died. They were somewhat a legend, the eternal Seeress and her immortal guardian. There wasn't much I could do in comparison to them. I mean, nobody except me could even raise a blade against Caius, and that's only because he taught me. And Yeul, she could see the future."

"Did you love them?"

"Yeah. Caius, he was the closest thing I had to a brother. I admired him. Who wouldn't? He could take on a whole herd of Shaolong Gui down, without a scratch. He might have been stern with me, but I thought he truly did look out for me and Yeul. Guess I was wrong."

"What about Yeul?"

"Her too. If Caius was the sterner one, then she was definately the gentler one. She was so kind and compassionate to everyone, she really cared for every single little thing. Even a flower. I was raised alongside her, so she was like a sister to me."

"And?"

"And nothing. I knew Yeul was going to die one day, probably before me, but that didn't make it hurt and less. I took a small comfort in knowing that Caius would be with me until the day I died, and even after that. He was supposed to be the one thing constant in my life, and I never expected him to leave. Leaving me was a probability, but leaving Yeul? I never expected that."

"Caius, what was he like?"

"Cocky, but I guess he had a good reason for that. Brave, definitely, but not impulsive. Strategic, I'd even say as smart as you, Hope. Ruthless, merciless- he'd do anything to reach his goal, honor be damned. Stict, certainly- like Serah, in a way. He wouldn't stand for any disrespect. Protective, of course. If I had to say what his greatest weakness is, it would probably be his single mindedness. Once he has a goal, he doesn't let it go. Of course, I've never seen him fail."

Hope grinned before he spoke, a painfully reminiscent grin, as if recalling bittersweet memories.

"He sounds like Lightning."

* * *

><p>The Plains of Eternity. Not the Archlyte Steppes, but Hope thought it was a fitting name for the endless rolling plains of grass and gray. The only spot of color for miles, in the whole world, was the vibrant blue of Noel's clothing.<p>

"You were close to Lightning, right? What was she like?"

"Proud. Harsh. Cold. Brutally effective. Not sympathetic at all, except towards Serah."

"You're right, she does kinda sound like Caius."

"But, Lightning, she had a different reason. Her parents died at a young age, and care of Serah fell to her. She wanted to become someone strong, to protect Serah."

A storm of black dust obscured Hope's vision for a moment, and when it cleared, Noel responded.

"They both wanted to protect her. The Seeress, they both wanted to save her."

"Yeah. After I fought Odin with her, Lightning seemed to accept me. At first, I thought it was because she knew I could heal her, and that I wasn't useless anymore, but now I realize it was because I reminded her of Serah. Someone younger than her, more innocent, who just lost their parent. After that, we didn't quarrel anymore. She watched out for me, and I tried to watch out for her."

"And the other l'cie? I've met Snow and Sazh, but I didn't really get to know Sazh."

Hope snorted.

"Snow's the opposite of Lightning. Impulsive, loyal, warm, optimistic, naive, a heat-of-the-moment type of guy. He's brave and a good meat shield, I'll give him that, but his recklessness, his aversion to responsibility- it's more than annoying."

"From where I come from, recklessness gets you killed."

"That's common in a lot of areas, Pulse included. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, good natured, well meaning- but that doesn't always translate over well."

"You sound like..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. An angry ex-girlfriend? Complaining mom? Like you really are fond of him, but you try to hide it."

"..."

"I should run now, shouldn't I."

* * *

><p>"Did you ever love her?" Noel blurts out, startling Hope as much as possible when it's no longer possible to be truly shocked. "Lightning, I mean."<p>

"I...I don't know. Not truly, genuine, romantic love, I know that, but..."

He's surprised. Not by the question, not by what it stirs up, but by what he feels. And no matter what memories he recalls, nothing fills the hollow, empty sensation in his chest.

"It's hard to think about, isn't it? You haven't seen her in five hundred years."

"I think I was in love with the _idea_ of her. Someone strong, protective, confident, that I could talk to like an equal but wouldn't judge me for feeling lesser. Someone who genuinely cared for me, and wouldn't judge me for being useless. Someone like...My mother."

"Ah. I see."

When did they lie down? The grass didn't feel like anything against his back, and the sky looked the same as the ground. Where they lying down at all?

"Did you ever love Serah?" An intrusive question. But it's been long enough, and Hope knows that nothing will ever fill the sensation of timelessness.

No response. Hope can't tell the color of Noel's clothing anymore.

"I think I was in love with the idea of her too. Someone who would stay by my side no matter what, who really cared for me as a friend and as family. Someone who was constant, brave, strong, but still needed some help sometimes. Someone to protect. Like Yeul."

"Do you think I would've liked Caius?"

"The real question you want to ask would be, 'do you think Caius would've liked me?' But yeah, I think you two would get on great. With all the information Caius has and all the innovation you have, who knows what you two might have done?"

"Hmm." Hope grinned a little, and turned towards Noel. "Maybe somewhere, in an alternate universe, there was a timeline where we met as allies."

"Yeah, the same timeline where Snow and I will be able to stay in the same room without me trying to rip out his tes-"

"I think I get the point, Noel."

* * *

><p>The throne sits before them, brilliantly pale, emitting an aura of pearly light. And seated on the throne, the crystallized figure of...<p>

"Lightning."

What should he feel? Crushed? Hopeless? Desperate? There's nothing except slight confusion. Why should he even care, anyways? There's nothing he can do.

"You okay, Hope?" Obligatory words. Noel's not worried, he knows how numb Hope is. He doesn't care at all for the figure entombed in front of them.

"Yeah. I'm just wondering, why would she do this?"

He gets a shrug in response. Reaching out a hand, he brushes the base of the throne, surprised to feel that it's...

Utterly nothing. Not warmer, not cooler, not smoother, not rougher. There's no sensation of touch or texture. As if it's not real, which, in a sense, it isn't.

Noel places his hand on Hope's shoulder, and it shocks him more than seeing Lightning crystallized ever would.

Noel's hand is warm. Hope's all but forgotten the definition of warmth.

* * *

><p>They don't <em>sleep<em> anymore, per say, but they do rest. When they run out of things to say, they lie down, and close their eyes in a pitiful semblance of sleep. Let go of whatever attachments they still carry, for a while. Truly die, for a while.

It's different this time. Something's been off ever since they saw Lightning. There's an odd coiling feeling in the pit of Hope's stomach, a sign of change, a warning perhaps. In a world where everything is wrong, something is ...Right.

It's scarier than anything else he's felt so far. When they lie down, he reaches out his left hand. A silent plea for comfort.

Noel answers. A hand slips into his. Like children hiding from adults, they cling to each other in their sleep.

* * *

><p>When Hope awakes, there's nothing in his left hand except a spray of red blood.<p> 


End file.
